Sydney · The Pillars · 29 September 2026
Beyond
Black Friday
One morning. An honest conversation about peak, profit and what comes next. A look back at Beyond Black Friday — our breakfast workshop and panel for retail leaders at The Pillars.
Attended by founders and leaders from brands such as:
Highlights of the Event
A morning event designed to elevate brand outcomes, and empower retailers to achieve the best Black Friday results and beyond.
What Happened
The Workshop
Hosted By: Vanja Stace
Vanja Stace led the room through what comes after BFCM — turning peak momentum into a stronger December, January and February. The workshop explored contribution margin planning, offers, campaigns and retention, with a practical framework for building a post-peak trading plan.
The Panel
Hosted By: Carmel Zein
“The Bill Comes in December” — Kate Sorenson, Danielle Hodges and Charlee Standley joined Carmel Zein for an honest conversation about the realities of BFCM: what worked, what didn’t, and how lessons from previous years shaped their approach to peak.
The Gallery
Inside the room.
Featured on the Panel
Kate Sorenson
Head of Growth
Head of Growth at Arcina Ori, a founder-owned Sydney label that grew to seven figures purely on organic. Close to two decades in Australian fashion, helping brands grow across DTC, wholesale and international.
Danielle Hodges
Head of Digital
Head of Digital with 12+ years across fashion and eCommerce, including YETI, By Charlotte, The UNDONE and Dion Lee, building digital strategies that put customer experience first.
Charlee Standley
Digital & eComm Growth Leader
Digital & eComm Growth Leader at Showpo, where she led a $100M+ replatform to headless Shopify, lifting conversion across six global markets.
Hosted By
Cameron Gomes
Retail Tech Advisor
15+ years in retail tech, advising and guiding over 150 brands on their scaling strategy.
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Vanja Stace
eCommerce Director
20+ years in retail leading brands such as King Living, Billini, Sheike, Honey Birdette and more.
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Carmel Zein
Founder, Humble Brags
Carmel is the founder of the Humble Brags Founders Club and host of the Humble Brags podcast. An ecommerce operator turned founder, she helps scaling founders connect with the right people who make growth sustainable.
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